Violin-bow guide and mute



L. J. ZAHN VIOLIN BOW GUIDE AND MUTE Filed June 27. 1923 l/WENTOR L mas/v2 J. ZAl/N Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

1,508,830 PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZ J'. ZAHN, F ASTORIA, NEW YORK.

VIOLIN-BOW GUIDE AND MUTE.

Application filed June 27,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZ J. ZAHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Astoria, in the county of Queens, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Violin-Bow Guides and Mntes, of which the following is a de scription, reference being had to the accom panyi-ng drawing andtothe figures of refere-nce marked thereon.

This invention relates to means applicable to a stringed instrument such as a violin, for assisting in training beginners to bow the instrument in the pro-per manner and at the same time to provide means for lessening the loudness of the tone from the instrument. In learning to play stringed instruments such as the violin it is usually hard work for the beginner to keep the bow in proper position on the strings and considerable time will be lost in sliding the bow up and down orback and forth on the strings with somewhat negative results.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide a combined bow guide and mute which will advance the beginner more quickly in his learning by assisting him in bowing in the proper manner.

It is a further object to provide a device of the character to be described which is simple and inexpensive in construction, and an attachment which can be quickly applied to or removed from the instrument.

A still further object is to provide a combined attachment of the kind described which is very light and which can be easily carried about.

I am aware that bow guides, as well as mutes have been constructed heretofore, but the advantages of my construction will be clearly apparent after a study of the specification taken. in connection with the annexed drawing, wherein:

' Figure 1 is a view of one form of my attachment. applied to the bridge of the stringed instrument.

Figure 2 is a side view of one of the parts of the attachment shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 18 a modified form of construction, one of the bow buffers being removed. Figure 4 is still another modlfied form of my attachment.

Fi 'ure 51s a detail View of a unchin b i I a u from which an integral attachment is made; while F igure 6 1s a side View of the part shown 1923. Serial No. 648,123.

in F ig. 5 after it has been formed and completed.

Referring now to the details, wherein like members refer to corresponding parts in the various views, 1 illustrates a bridge of a violin on which rest, in the usual manner, the strings 2. Adapted to be mounted on the bridge 1 is a combined bow guide and mute, in which the mute part 3 is adapted to slide over the bridge in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Attached to or carried by the muteportion 3 is an L-shaped arm 4 having a vertical part 5 carrying a buffer 6, prefe-rably of felt, which is to prevent the bow from making any noise when it slides against the vertical portion 5. The member is preferably made of one piece of light strong material, such as aluminum, bent so that the buffer 6- is placed between the two bent portions and held therebetween by the rivet-s 7. Likewise the mute 3 is preferably of strong light material, such as aluminum and as is shown in Fig. 1, is formed with three fingers 8, the central one of which has ears 9 constructed so as to form a tapered socket for the flanges 10 on the horizontal portion 11 of the guide arm 4. It is understood that the flanges 10 are slightly tapered so that when the member 41 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, these flanges 10 fit securely within the tapered socket formed by the ears 9. It will thus be seen that the member 4; can be removed from the member 3 by pushing the member ward out of the socket. Since the member 4 is constructed of one piece and one end being riveted, as by the rivets 7, the other end is preferably left unriveted so that the tendency for the parts 11 is to spring apart, thereby assisting in holding the member 4 in the assembled position shown in Fig. 1.

In the device shown in Fig. 3, the attachment is an integral piece having a slot 12 adapted to slide over and grip the bridge 1. The buffer 6 is adapted to be set in the groove 13 on both of the parts 3 and 5, being held in the groove in any suitable manner. In Fig. 4 the combined attachment is somewhat similar to that shown in Fig. 3 except a clamp 1 1 is shown for gripping the bridge 1 in any desired position or height, the clamp 14 being held in position by a set screw 15. In this figure, the bow 16 is shown in position between the two members 3 and 5. The device of Fig. at is preferably made of light metal such as aluminum.

In Fig. 5 l'have shown anintegral b-lanl; lromwhich a complete unitary alitaclnnent i 'i'or'med; The route portion is constructed by bending the finger sections ,8 on thelines "l 1'. whilcl'he.bow guide portion is formed by bending on the lines 18. After the forming operationsharelieen completed and the butter member (3' inserted and preferably riveted in place, a device similar to that shown in Fig. (Sis obtained. It will-be seen that this device is very similar tothat shown in Fig; 1, except that it is made integral, while that of Fig. 1 is in two pieces. One advantage of the two piece construction istha-t the-bow guide member may [be re moved and the mute member used alone. It will also be seen thatsince the mute portion is preferably made of resilient Ina- I .terial and the lingers being split, themute for a stringed instrument having a bridge, 'a part to shp over the top-of the bridge and act ng as a mute, a singleniembertaste cued to the mute part and havinga portion extez-unng approximately -.parallel to the mute part, said portion acting as a guide For a bow:

f In a combined bowfguide and mute for afsi ringed instrument 'ha vinga lnqiilggfa part having a plurality of spl t fingers which are to shpover the top of the bridge between the strings thereon and act as a mute. a member :lastened to at least one of 7 the lingers and having a portioirapproxi-.

matelyparallel tothe mute para-but spaced apart't'ro n the mute portion and acting as a guide for a bow. Y s 3,. In a combined bow guide and mute for a stringed instrument having. a bridge, a part. having .a plurality of split fingers which are to slip over thetop of the bridge between the stringslthereon and act as a mute, a member fastened to at least'one of the fingers. and having a portion ap'proximately parallel to" the mute part, but spaced apart from the muteportion and acting as a 7 guide for a bow, saidguide portion also being splitv and carrying a buffer between the split parts, said bulier extending be-' yond the guide toward the mute.

LQIn a combined bow guide and mute for astrmged lnstrument having a bridge, a part having three spht fingers to slip over the top of the bridge between the strings thereon and act as a mute, a member fastened to the central fingerand having a guide portion approximately parallel to the mute part, but spaced apart from the mute port-ion and a buffer carried by the guide. 7

5. In a bow guide for a stringed instrument having a bridge, apart to slip over the top of the bridge and an arm extending laterally from the part on the bridge, said arm having a guide portion approximately parallel. to the mute' part, but at the extremity of the lateral portion and a butter rarried by the guide. V, V

6. In a 'boW guide for a stringed instrument having a bridge, a part-to'slip over the top of the bridge with means torpositioning said part at the desired position on,

the bridge, an arm extending laterally from the part on the bridge, said arm havinga guide portion approximately parallel to the mute part, but at the extremity of the lateral-portion and a buffer carried by the guide. v j 7. In a bow guide fora stringed-instrument having a bridge, a part having resilient split fingers which grip at the desired height the said bridge, an arni extending horizontally from at least one of said fingers;

said arm being split and terminating in a portion approximately parallel to the mute part for carrying a buffer secured between and acting as a guidefl or the split parts a bow. 1 1 As an art' ale of manufacture, a com-.. bined bow guide and mute for astringed instrument having abridge, comprising a single piece of metal formed to have a part to engage the bridge and act as a. mute,;and a' part. adjacent to the mute acting as a guide for a bow; 1

As an article of manufacture, a combined bow guide and mute for a stringed instrument havinga bridge, comprising a singlepiece of sheet metal formed with resilient fingers to engage the bridge and with a part; approximately parallel to said fingers, butadjacent thereto for clamping a butferfor the purposes described, r

In testimony whereof, I aflixmy'signature.

LORENZ J. 'ZAHN. 

